Minnesota High School Updates Entrance Security Following Early Morning Assault

The changes to security include a new door lock schedule. All exterior doors on both the north and south campuses of the high school will be locked until 7 a.m. on school days. After 7 a.m., six entrances to the campuses will be open for students to enter, and doors will be locked again when classes start at 8:20 a.m.

By Jessica Davis

February 26, 2019

Brainerd High School has changed its campus entrance security policies following an early morning attack on a staff member. The changes are effective as of Feb. 20, about a week after the attack, the Brainerd Dispatch reported.

On Feb. 11, a high school staff member was attacked in a girls’ locker room on campus at about 6:30 a.m. The staff member freed herself from the attacker, who now faces three felony charges as a result of the alleged assault.

The changes to security include a new door lock schedule. All exterior doors on both the north and south campuses of the high school will be locked until 7 a.m. on school days. After 7 a.m., six entrances to the campuses will be open for students to enter, and doors will be locked again when classes start at 8:20 a.m.

Principal Andrea Rusk told the Dispatch that previously, doors to the high school were open whenever custodial staff arrived on campus.

The campus now features more secure entrances. Visitors to the school have to push a button on a monitor box at the exterior doors to notify a designated staff member of their request to enter campus. The staff member will see them via video and ask them to identify themselves and explain why they’re visiting campus.

Once a visitor is buzzed into the building, they have to check in at the school’s main office.

Rusk said the doors with secure entrance systems are the ones that will be unlocked from 7-8:20 a.m. for students to enter, and all other doors will be locked.

"We tried to look at student traffic. A lot of students get dropped off by parents, and (parents) work early or they have to drop other kids off at school," Rusk said. "We felt like 7 a.m. was a fair time we could manage the building."

The doors will not be manned by staff members during that time period, but staff members, custodians, administrators, food service workers and some teachers will be in the building, Rusk said.

Administration worked to find a security plan to allow staff and students to move between campus buildings while still limiting access for safety purposes.

"Please be aware these changes are necessary for safety and may not be convenient," Rusk said in her email.